Method and apparatus for processing ballast



Dec., 25, 1956 Hf H. BACH ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSINGBALLAST 19 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 6, 1951 INVENTO'RS.- Harald Hc/zdi.

les L T @Wle ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET A1.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 1951 1S)l lSheets-Sheet 2 NWN n um@ EN. Hmm IY NQMN m E Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ETA1. 2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS TOR PROCESSING BALLAST 19 Smets-sheet 5 Filed Sept.6, 1951 1 Harald H. c/ di. Cidi'les L. Tawle Y @uw MDMA A TTORNEYS.

Dec- 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET AL. 2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6 1951 19Sheets-Sheet 4 i ,n ....1 IA.--

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* Hara-d H. Baci? '/idil .s L. TaWZe ATTORNEYS.

H. H. BACH ET AL 2,775,438

Dec., 25, 1956 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST 19Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 6, 1951 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET AL vll/[Ill i 202 216 303 zas' INVENToRs.-

Harald H Bc/ 2. Charles L. T Ze BY 7L ana/g A TTORNE YS Dec. 25, 1956 H.H. BACH ETAL.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6. 195 1INVENTORS.- Harald H. Baci? fr VT/arles L Tawle ATTORNEYSA uf mw I Dec.25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET Al. 2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6', 1951 19Sheets-Sheet 8 211 EGE/ ZZ3-J Z13 193 15- 183 183 7 X 181.2 H0 185 I hunI 16 50 131 303 f J0\ I Y INVENToRs: Harald H. Bach Charles L. Towle ATTORNE YS.

Dec. 25, 17956 H.- H. BACH ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSINGBALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 1951 19 Sheeis-Shee 9 INVENTORS.- Harald H Baci?i Cim/"Zes L. Tal/ghz BY @auf `7` wg ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSINGBALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 1951 FIC?. I3-

19 sheets-sheet 1o INVENToRs.-

Harald H.cl7 Clidrles L. Towle BY w# ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET Al. 2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS POR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 195.1 19Sheets-Sheet 1l FIGJZL INVENTORS.'

Harold H. ch z. BY Charles L T0 wie A TTORNE YS.

Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET A1. 2,775,438

METHOD ANO APPARATUS TOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. e, 1951 19sheets-sheet 12 FIGJ INVENTORS: HroZdH. ,Bach dz. BY @lidi-l s L. TowleA TTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1956 HfH. BACH ET AL 2,775,438

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Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET AL 2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6. 1951 19Sheets-Sheet 14 FIG- Zi 54.

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Dec. 25, 1956` H. H. BACH ET AL 2,775,438

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Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET A1.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 1951 19Sheets-Sheet 16 :NVE/vraies.- Harald H. c/z 1. Ciad/Zes L. Tam/Ze BYATTORNEYS.

Dec. 25, 1956 H, H. BACH ET AL 2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 1951 19Sheets-Sheet 17 @D INVENToRs A TTORNE YS Dec. 25, 1956 H. H. BACH ET AL.2,775,438

METHOD AND APPARATUS. FOR PRocssING BALLAST Filed Sept. 6, 1951 19Sheets-Sheet 18 INVENToRs.- Hdaia H. Bch 3:. BY C/ifles L. Towle M SLJCM ATTORNEYS.

19 Sheets-Sheet 19 H. H. BACH ET AL Dec. 25, 1956 METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR PROCESSING BALLAST Filed sept. e, 1951 www INVENTORS.-

Harold H. 5de/7 L Charles L Towle -BY W -l- @We ATTORNEYS.

such ballast outwardly beyond the tie ends.

United States Patent O METHOD AND APPARATUS FR PROCESSING BALLAST HaroldH. Bach, Steubenville, Ohio, and Charles L. Towle, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 6, 195,1, Serial No. 245,292

22 Claims. (Cl. 262-2) This invention relates to a method and apparatusfor processing ballast, and more particularly relates to a continuousmethod and apparatus for removing ballast from the crib between trackties, and for handling and cleaning the ballast.

It is common knowledge that the proper maintenance of railroad tracks isdependent upon rapid drainage of water therefrom. Inv the course of timedirt and other particles of iinely divided material find their way intothe spaces between the individual ballast particles and eventually plugor block these spaces to such an extent that drainage is seriouslyinterfered with. The finely divided material forms a mud which lls inimmediately under the ties, providing a soft, yieldable support for theties. This results in loose track and poor track conditions. For theforegoing reasons it has been conven-` tional to clean the ballastperiodically in order to remove the finely divided particles to eifectproper drainage.

Methods and machines have previously been proposed for removing andreplacing ballast or effecting the automatic cleaning of ballast, butthese methods have all been subject to rather serious objections. Whilecertain machines have capacity to remove the ballast from the shouldersand inter-track spaces of the road bed, they are incapable of processingthe ballast located the cribs between ties, and more particularly theballast located in the space between the ties and laterally between therails. such as arms and the like have previously been proposed, suchmachines having means for moving the arms crosswise and into contactwith the ballast in the cribs to move However such procedures andapparatus are subject to the disadvantage that their operation isdependent upon proper spacing and parallel relation of the ties. Alsothe removal of ballast is impeded by reason of the presence of the railat a point between the centers `and ends of the ties.

-Most existing machines have been specifically designed for carrying outonly one speciiic ballast cleaning operation, thus necessitating theprovision of several different machines, operating upon the road bed atdiiferent times, to eiect complete ballast cleaning of the entire roadbed.

Another disadvantage encountered in the operation of conventionalballast cleaners is that their construction is necessarily spaceconsuming, with resultant diculty in providing for adequate clearance toaccommodate the passage of trains on adjacent tracks. Moreover suchmachines have been characterized by their inability to return thecleaned ballast properly to the cribs and other spaces in the road bed.

Another difficulty encountered in connection with conventional ballastcleaning procedures is that the ballast is .not sufliciently clean whensubjected to a single sequence of ballast cleaning steps, and as aresult it is frequently necessary to repeat the cleaning operation onthe same road bed in order to provide adequate cleaning.

Moreover most ballast cleaning methods and appa- Other devices,involving `mechanical means 2,775,438 Patented Dec. 25, i956 iCe havebeenprovided for eifecting `the efficient disposal ofA the dirt, coaldust, and other tine particles separated from the ballast. l

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method andapparatus for removing ballast from the crib between track ties. Anotherobject is to provide method and means for effecting continuously thecornplete removal andcleaning ordisposal of the shoulder ballast,inter-.track ballast and'crib ballast of a road bed in a singleoperation. It is another object` of the invention to provide method andapparatus for removing and cleaning cribballast independently otphysical contact with the ties or rails, and wholly uneifected byVirregularities of tie spacing. Another object of-the` invention is toprovidetan apparatus wherein separate but interconnected means areprovided for electing the cleaning of shoulder ballast, inter-trackballast or crib ballast either together or independently of one another.Still another object of the invention is to provide a ballast cleaningapparatus includingballast handling elements having capacity to moveinwardly and outwardly toward and away from the center line of thetrack, to provide prompt clearance for trains passing on adjacenttracks. Yet another object of the invention is to provide, inconjunction with ballast cleaning apparatus, improved means forreturning the cleaned ballast to the road bed. It is still anotherobject of the invention to provide yballast cleaning means characterizedby a double cleaning action on all ballast handled, thus improving theballast cleaning andreliminating the requirement for double operationoverthe same stretch of road bed. Another object is to provide improvedmethod and apparatus for separating the dirt and line particles from thecleaned ballast, and `for disposing of or otherwise handling ortemporarily storing the dirt thus separated. Other objects andadvantages of the invention, includingithe simplicity of 'constructionvand operation of the ballast handling elements and the efficiency withwhich they may be constructed and arranged on a movable carriage, willappear in further detail hereinafter and in the drawings whereof:

Fig. 1 is a` view in side elevation of a. ballast cleaning` and handlingapparatus constituting one embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing the forwardportion of the ballast cleaning apparatus of Fig. l. In this ligure theballast scoops and ballast collecting apparatus on the near side of theballast cleaning apparatus is in operative position in relation to theroad bed, while the corresponding apparatus on the far side of theballast cleaning apparatus is shown withdrawn to inoperative position onthe railroad car.

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing therear portion of the ballast cleaning apparatus of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the forward portion of ballast cleaning carshown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 represents a plan view of the rear portion of the ballastcleaning apparatus, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 represents a sectional View showing the forward portion of theballast dislodging apparatus, taken as indicated by the lines and arrowsVIVl which appear in Fig. 2, both ballast collecting means being shownin operative position in relation to the road bed.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, with certain parts displaced inorder to show more clearly the manner in which they operate. p y 1 Fig.8 represents a sectional view taken as indicated by the llines andarrows VIII-VIII which appear in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9represents a sectional viewin plan, taken as indithe

